Senior Project Engineer - Furrowmate

Loam Bio; Orange City Council; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal Learning Budget

Flexible work options

Training opportunities

Environmental mission

Job summary

Loam Bio in NSW is seeking a Senior Project Engineer to own FurrowMate's mechanical design across its hardware lifecycle, from concept to on-farm installation, working with Product Development, Sales, and external fabrication partners.

You will drive reliability, manufacturability, and cost targets, manage external fabricators, ensure safety-in-design, and deliver documentation and support through the product lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent with design and project delivery experience.
• Experience with agricultural machinery preferred.
• Proven ability to manage external fabricators.
• Track record in design-for-manufacture and cost reduction.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of FurrowMate units - concept, detailed design, tolerances, materials selection, and design-for-manufacture - so each unit generation is more reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective than the last.
• Manage unit manufacturing with external fabrication partners, including technical specifications, quotations, quality inspection, and delivery timelines, so units arrive on schedule and to spec.
• Lead installation and commissioning on grower seeding equipment across makes and models, ensuring safe fitment, correct operation, and clean handover to operators.
• Apply safety-in-design across all work: hazard identification, risk assessment, guarding, and compliance with relevant Australian machinery and electrical standards.
• Run the product improvement loop: triage field issues, identify root cause, and translate findings into design revisions and manufacturing changes.
• Produce and maintain engineering documentation - functional requirements, BOMs, assembly drawings, operator manuals, and installation guides - so FurrowMate knowledge is institutional, not personal.
• Support Sales and Customer Operations with pre-sale fitment assessments and post-sale technical support.
• Manage engineering work packages to budget and schedule, including procurement, contractor coordination, and reporting to leadership.
• Other duties as assigned, capped at under 10% of the role's time.

Skills

Mechanical design

3D CAD

Design for manufacturability

Vendor management

Safety-in-design

Technical communication

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical, mechatronic, or agricultural engineering

Tools

3D CAD software

Job description

The Senior Project Engineer owns FurrowMate, Loam's air-injection delivery system for seeding-time microbial application, across its full hardware lifecycle: design, manufacturing, and on-farm installation. The role works closely with Product Development, Sales, external fabrication and installation partners. The role exists because FurrowMate's reliability, unit cost, and ease of installation directly drive CarbonBuilder adoption.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of FurrowMate units - concept, detailed design, tolerances, materials selection, and design-for-manufacture - so each unit generation is more reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective than the last.
• Manage unit manufacturing with external fabrication partners, including technical specifications, quotations, quality inspection, and delivery timelines, so units arrive on schedule and to spec.
• Lead installation and commissioning on grower seeding equipment across makes and models, ensuring safe fitment, correct operation, and clean handover to operators.
• Apply safety-in-design across all work: hazard identification, risk assessment, guarding, and compliance with relevant Australian machinery and electrical standards.
• Run the product improvement loop: triage field issues, identify root cause, and translate findings into design revisions and manufacturing changes.
• Produce and maintain engineering documentation - functional requirements, BOMs, assembly drawings, operator manuals, and installation guides - so FurrowMate knowledge is institutional, not personal.
• Support Sales and Customer Operations with pre-sale fitment assessments and post-sale technical support.
• Manage engineering work packages to budget and schedule, including procurement, contractor coordination, and reporting to leadership.
• Other duties as assigned, capped at under 10% of the role's time.

Requirements

• Degree in mechanical, mechatronic, or agricultural engineering - or a mechanical trade qualification with demonstrated design and project delivery experience.
• 5+ years of project engineering or product design experience in a manufacturing or hardware environment.
• Hands-on experience with agricultural machinery; air seeder operations experience strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD and design-for-manufacture, with a portfolio of designs that reached production.
• Demonstrated management of external fabricators and suppliers, from specification through quality acceptance.
• Working command of safety-in-design principles and a genuine safety-first track record.
• Clear technical communication: reports, specifications, and documentation that others can build from.
• Australian driver's licence and willingness to travel to grower sites, including interstate travel.

• Experience with bulk-solids or powder handling, metering, or pneumatic conveying systems.
• Exposure to sensors, instrumentation, or control systems on mobile machinery.
• Trade background (fitting, machining, welding) alongside engineering experience.
• Familiarity with Australian agricultural machinery standards and on-farm work health and safety.

• Personal Learning Budget: Support for professional development and continuous growth.
• Flexible Work Environment: Options for remote work to support work-life balance.
• Impactful Work: Contribute to global efforts in environmental sustainability and agriculture.
• Training and Development: Access to a personal development plan with ongoing training opportunities.

Why You Should Join Us

At Loam, we're tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time with a passionate team dedicated to making a real difference. If you're eager to apply your skills to a mission that truly matters, we'd love to hear from you.

Loam Bio is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, or any other characteristic.

Senior Project Engineer - FurrowMate • 2800, NSW, AU